Diaper Need Will Get Worse

Oh, Proctor & Gamble. You are not without your sense of timing, are you? It’s National Diaper Need Awareness Week. Disposable diaper banks are going into overdrive to collect donations to help struggling families with their diaper need. Cloth diaper banks like Cloth for a Cause are doing our best to get the word out that cloth diapering is a viable alternative to those who cannot afford to either keep up with the costs of disposable diapers or to start their own cloth diaper stash. We even point to participants in the Flats Handwashing Challenge to show that even people without washing machines can manage in cloth.

During all of this ramp up to help the struggling families of North America with the diaper need across the continent, Proctor & Gamble does something different, but not completely unexpected: they decide that instead of raising the sticker price of their diapers, Proctor & Gamble will reduce the number of diapers in a package.

I get it. Proctor & Gamble is a business. They have a responsibility, not to the poor and struggling, but to stock holders. Free market economy, blah blah blah. Of course they have every right to raise their prices.

But wow. This will suck for those who are already struggling to manage to feed their children, diaper their children, and keep a roof over their heads.

If you know someone who is struggling (and since Huggies last report indicated that roughly a third of families were struggling with meeting the diaper need of their children, you probably do), please remind them that there are organizations out there that will work to help them. There are cloth diapering banks that will teach them to fish instead of just giving them fish (like disposable banks will essentially do).

While I’ve always, even at my poorest, taken the ability to keep my baby’s bottom dry for granted, not everyone has been so fortunate. For them, diaper banks (both cloth and disposable) are crucial for meeting that diaper need. Are there diaper drives or banks in your area? How do you support them?

This is why I spend so much time advocating for the use of cloth diapers. Those pennies count. They need to be stretched as far as possible… and an organization that will lend you cloth diapers will help parents by reducing the disposable diaper expense.

Did they publicize the change and make it very clear to consumers? I am so tired of shrinking packages….especially without notice or warning. And especially when the price stays the same (sometimes it even goes up)!

It’s rolling out on the 16th. The timing, though, is what I find so very disappointing. I mean, really? When it’s time to highlight that there are families struggling with diapers, that’s when they announce shrinking packages (again)?

That’s so awful! Like you, I’ve never struggled with choosing food over diapers or vice versa, and I think it is so incredibly unfortunate that some are faced with those decisions. I don’t know of any diaper banks in the area, but I will definitely do my research to find them and help in any way I can.

I wish I had invested more time in cloth diapers for my first 2, this one will be experiencing more cloth though. It really does save money in the long run, but its upfront cost is what I think puts some people off

The good news is that there are organizations that can help with that upfront cost. Cloth for a Cause lends starter stashes to qualifying families, and still work with families that don’t. That way the families can try different things, figure out what works for them, and slowly accumulate diapers instead of have to buy them all at once.

Ashley, if you’re in the US, there are several organizations that can help you with starting cloth diapers when you can’t afford it! If you’re in Canada, please visit Cloth for a Cause (http://www.clothforacause.org) and apply for assistance.

This is one of the sneakiest things companies do, it drives me bonkers. Lots of people won’t even notice that the packages are smaller until they have to buy diapers more often. Makes me glad we use cloth.

Because my newborn rental didn’t arrive in time we bought a bunch of disposable diapers that we never ended up using. I also had some formula we got from the pediatrician that I never used so I donated the woke lot to a local women’s shelter. I figured they would get used there. I’ll have to consider donating some of my cloth when I’m done with it as well.

I have REALLY been considering cloth diapers for when we have our 2nd (and last child). The only thing that turned me away from cloth to begin with is that we go to a laundry mat (only once a week) and have no idea how I can do cloth that way and also since it would be our last child…I know that it would def help us (since we are still buying diapers for our son), but it seems a lot to learn and try to do in our situation. 🙁

Cost issue: there are orgs that can lend you diapers for your start up.

Laundromat: If you’d be interested, there are flat diapers that you can essentially hand-wash or use a camp style washer. Some use flour sack towels and pretty covers. Hope you figure out a solution that works for you!